1. Field of The Invention
The present invention relates generally to the art of preparing a dry or semi-dry sausage product, and more particularly it relates to a method of making pepperoni. In its most preferred form, the present invention relates to the preparation of diced or sliced pepperoni, wherein the sausage is cooked, with or without using casings, and wherein the dehydrating step is performed in a spiral dryer under turbulent air flow with the warm, dry air entering the spiral dryer at the lower end thereof along with the product.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Many different processes have been used in the prior art to manufacture cured, smoked, dried and semi-dried sausages, and many such processes are known for preparing pepperoni. In some of the prior art processes, the initial meat mixture is cured and thereafter dried or heated in air, sunlight, in drying rooms, smokehouses and the like. The cure or drying time in many of the historical processes, and some processes still being used, require many hours, days or even weeks. A wide variety of final products and qualities results from the use of age-old recipes and techniques.
Pepperoni is typically prepared by stuffing the desired meat mixture into casings and fermenting and drying the resultant product for extended periods. This particular sausage is most commonly served in thin slices, with or without the casing, the casing being removed after cooking if it is removed at all. Pepperoni pizzas, for example, are sold by most pizza producers throughout the world.
One prior art attempt at reducing the time required for the preparation of such sausage products is described in U.S. Pat. No. 2,346,232 issued Apr. 11, 1944 to Pirai, et al. for xe2x80x9cMeat Processxe2x80x9d. In this patent, semi-dried meat for food ration purposes is prepared in shorter periods than were previously required, by exposing the meat mixture to a turbulent air flow to reduce the moisture content from an original 45-85% to 20-55%. The air used in this process is at a temperature of 0xc2x0 C.-30xc2x0 C. (32xc2x0 F. to 86xc2x0 F.) and the air is moved across the meat surface at a velocity of 1-18 feet/second. The meat products discussed in this patent are produced in xc2xc1-1xc2xc inch thick layers or in ropes of xe2x85x9c-inch diameter for drying. For xe2x85x9c-inch ropes, drying is accomplished to 28% in about 8-13 hours, while the 1xc2xc-inch layers require 13 days, still a relatively short period when compared to earlier processes. The benefits of turbulent flow are said to be increased by 40% early in the process where the air contacts a moist surface. The effect of the turbulent air flow of this patent is substantially reduced as the drying continues. For example, in one test reported in the patent, drying of xe2x85x9c-inch ropes from 55% to 40% moisture took just three hours, while a further reduction to 28% required an additional five hours. It is interesting to note that the patent does not disclose any direct relationship between the humidity of the air used in the process and the time of drying. The patent claims up to 75% relative humidity, although many of the examples use relative humidities of 20-25%, 40% and 75%. Product is held in flat trays in the examples of the patent.
Another process for preparing sausages is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,482,996 issued Dec. 9, 1996 to Christianson, et al. for xe2x80x9cProcess for Preparing Dry and Semi-Dry Sausagesxe2x80x9d. In this patent, the meat compositions include dehydrated, spun, edible protein fibers or dehydrated fibrous products derived from spun, edible protein fibers to substantially reduce drying time. The fibers allegedly take up the moisture which is typically removed in the drying room.
xe2x80x9cPreparation of Partially Dehydrated Meat Productsxe2x80x9d is discussed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,265,918 issued to Kueper, et al. on May 5, 1981. The technique discussed in this patent includes immersion of the meat product in a curing solution, followed by vacuum dehydration. The initial hydration step is to about 105-125% of the products"" original weight, followed by vacuum treatment to reduce the overall product weight to 70-95% of its original weight. The process is especially well suited for sliced meat products, like bacon.
Yet another process is described in Kentor""s U.S. Pat. No. 4,279,935 issued Jul. 21, 1981 for xe2x80x9cDry Sausage Processing With Added Acidxe2x80x9d. In this process, bactericides and bacteriostats are first added to the meat, followed by treatment with an acidic mixture to reduce the Ph to about 5.7. The sausage is then heated to at least 58xc2x0 C. and control dried to reduce the average moisture level to about 35%. The drying time is on the order of 5-20 days.
Another process for producing semi-dry sausage products, including pepperoni, is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,736,186 issued Apr. 7, 1998 to Holdren and entitled xe2x80x9cProcess For Producing Dry And Semi-Dry Sausage Productsxe2x80x9d. In this patent, the process comprises mixing the basic meat ingredients and adding an encapsulated acidulant which has a melting point above 90xc2x0 F. The product is formed into sausage shaped products in which the product has at least one cross-sectional dimension no greater than 1.0 inch. The raw meat and encapsulated acidulant are then heated for a time sufficient to melt the encapsulating material and to dehydrate the product to reduce the moisture-to-protein ratio to no greater than 3.7 to 1. The heating step is carried out in very short periods of time, at high temperatures in the range of 90xc2x0 F. to 500xc2x0 F., the higher temperatures being used for the shortest drying times.
Another well-known process is to form meat loaves, bacon analogs and the like using an extruder to form sheets of the meat mixtures. For bacon analogs, the extrusion can be of multiple layers. The sheets of meat products are cooked and then sliced, e.g. to prepare products resembling bacon and having alternating fat appearing and meat appearing layers. Examples of such processes are discussed in the following U.S. Patents: U.S. Pat. No. 5,236,731 issued Aug. 17, 1993 to Heinz Becker for xe2x80x9cProcess For The Manufacture Of Sliceable, Casing Free Sausagexe2x80x9d; U.S. Pat. No. 4,667,369 issued May 26, 1987 to Eugene F. Felstehausen for xe2x80x9cExtrusion Apparatus For Ground Meatxe2x80x9d; U.S. Pat. No. 4,530,132 issued Jul. 23, 1985 to Richard C. Wagner for xe2x80x9cMeat Loaf Forming Apparatusxe2x80x9d; U.S. Pat. No. 4,305,965 issued on Dec. 15, 1981 to Earl J. Cheney for xe2x80x9cBacon And Meat Analoguesxe2x80x9d; U.S. Pat. No. 4,260,640 issued Apr. 7, 1981 to Hartmann, et al. for xe2x80x9cMoulding Food Productsxe2x80x9d; U.S. Pat. No. 4,200,959 issued May 6, 1980 to Earl J. Cheney for xe2x80x9cApparatus For Forming Bacon Product Analogues And The Likexe2x80x9d; U.S. Pat. No. 4,196,222 issued on Apr. 1, 1980 to Earl J. Cheney for xe2x80x9cProcess For The Preparation Of Meat And Bacon Analoguesxe2x80x9d; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,166,138 issued on Aug. 28, 1979 to Ziminski, et al. for xe2x80x9cPreparation Of Bacon-Like Meat Analogxe2x80x9d.
In addition to the prior art described above, applicants are also aware that spiral conveyor equipment is known for a variety of food preparation processes. In such equipment, a food product may be frozen or heated as it moves along a conveyor which forms a number of tiers or levels within a spiral system.
An example of such a spiral system is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,079,666 issued Mar. 21, 1978 to Plemons, et al. for xe2x80x9cApparatus for Treating Baked Products In Order to Improve the Shelf Life Thereofxe2x80x9d. Pizza crusts are treated with ethyl alcohol after they have been cooled in a spiral path. The spiral cooler is advantageously used to reduce the size of the area required for cooling and for control of the temperature of the pizza crusts exiting the cooler by taking advantage of the ability to control conveyor speed and air temperature within the enclosure.
Cooking of food products using spiral devices is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,078,120 issued Jan. 7, 1992 to Hwang for xe2x80x9cCooking Oven for Slow Cooking of Food Productsxe2x80x9d and in Reissue 35,259 (originally U.S. Pat. No. 4,582,047) issued Jun. 4, 1996 to Williams for xe2x80x9cHigh Humidity Steam Cooker With Continuously Running Conveyorxe2x80x9d. In the former, the cooking chamber (using steam or hot air) is divided into high pressure and low pressure areas for improving the efficient heat transfer therein. The food products discussed include chicken or poultry parts, hamburger patties, fish patties, vegetable foods and other food products which may be cooked in a predominantly steam atmosphere. In the latter patent, continuously operable spray detergent cleaning baths are used with a spiral steam cooker equipped with two separate steam sources. This patent also focuses on the cooking of meat, produce, fish or poultry with the steam pressure exceeding one atmosphere, at 100xc2x0 C. and 100% humidity.
While these prior art processes may have proved successful for the stated purposes, there are important steps which can still be taken in improving the quality and the manufacturing of dry or semi-dry sausages. In the present case, such an improvement is made in connection with pepperoni, especially the type of pepperoni which is to be used in large quantities for the manufacture of pizzas. The present prior art practice is to prepare the pepperoni using conventional processes employing blending, stuffing the meat mixture into casings, cooking the meat mixture and curing it, following which the product is thinly sliced. The thin slices are then placed on top of the pizza for packaging.
Because the drying and curing process require from several days to several weeks, production capacity for a manufacturing facility is limited by the amount of space allocated to the drying process. The process is capital intensive, and requires a tremendous amount of product to be held in drying rooms at any given time. These current processes require the pepperoni sticks to be held in their casing during the curing and drying phase, thereby reducing the rate at which moisture can be removed from the product and adding to manufacturing cost. Holding the pepperoni in a casing during drying also prohibits slicing or dicing the product prior to drying, which would increase the surface area of the product and aid in moisture removal. Accordingly, a method of manufacturing pepperoni that overcomes these disadvantages would be a significant advance in this art.
The parent application to this continuation-in-part application describes a method in which pepperoni meat mixtures are prepared without the labor and cost intensive step of stuffing the product into casings. Instead, the mixture is fermented and cooked in a loaf form, following which the product is sliced and then preferably diced and dried in a spiral dryer which includes a plurality of tiers and in which warm and dry air is circulated down over the product to dry it in a shorter amount of time than would be possible using conventional stick drying techniques. In that application, the spiral dryer employed conventional spiral technology, i.e. the air was introduced at the top of the dryer and flowed generally in a direction opposite to that of the material flow. In other words, the tiers were arranged such that the most moist product entered at the bottom and circulated toward the top, for removal, while the air was distributed from the top and flowed downwardly with respect to the spiral tiers. The application also discusses the use of the downward, axial introduction of air and the radial flow of it over the product held on mesh conveyors.
While prior to the use by the inventors of the parent application, spiral systems were known for cooking food, such as by the use of steam, or for freezing various products such as bakery, meat products and the like, spiral technology had not been known for use in the drying small particles, such as slices or dices of pepperoni. The process described in the parent application involved a tremendous improvement in the art from the standpoint of manufacturing product which was flowable and easily handled by the manufacturers of pizza and the like, but also from the standpoint of reducing costs for labor, casing material, drying time, inventory space and the like. However, it was noted that occasionally the product had some drying inconsistencies and a tendency to overdry.
A principle feature of the present invention is to provide a manufacturing process for preparing and drying pepperoni.
Another feature of the present invention is to provide a cured pepperoni product which flows easily and which may be evenly spread on other food items, such as pizza.
Yet another object of the present invention is the preparation of pepperoni in a relatively small amount of manufacturing space and in a minimal amount of time.
A different object of the present invention is to employ a spiral drying system for drying pepperoni which has been previously fermented and cooked either using casings or in loaf form and subsequently has been subdivided into sliced or diced pieces. The pepperoni is subdivided after the fermented and cooked pepperoni is cooled. The pieces are dried in a spiral dryer and the temperature and humidity of the air flow within the spiral system is controlled.
A still further feature of the present invention is to reverse the normal order of air introduction in the spiral dryer, so that the most warm and most dry air enters the spiral dryer along with the freshly divided product at the lower end and flows generally in the same direction as the product. A more even drying is attained, product is more consistent, and there is more balance with regard to moisture content.
How these and other objects of the present invention are accomplished will be described in the following xe2x80x9cDetailed Description of the Preferred Embodimentxe2x80x9d. Generally, however, they are accomplished by a process which first includes manufacturing cooked pepperoni. This process comprises formulating a meat mixture to the desired specification and grinding the meat (for example beef and/or pork) to a size no greater than about one-half (xc2xd) inch. The meat is then added to a blender and mixed with salt, culture, water and spices, oleoresins, dextrose, and the like. Blending is carried out for up to about 5 minutes, after which a second grinding occurs, this time to a size no greater than {fraction (3/16)}xe2x80x3. Bone is typically eliminated at this stage. Meat temperature is maintained below 40xc2x0 F. in the preferred blending and grinding process. At this point, the prepared meat mixture may be placed into casings for fermentation and cooking, using times and using temperatures which are similar to those used in the xe2x80x9ccasing-lessxe2x80x9d process described in the following sentences. In the casing-less variation, the meat mixture is extruded onto a screen at a thickness of about three inches (3xe2x80x3) and is transferred to ovens where it is fermented or cooked. In the present invention, the cooked sausage is thereafter chilled to an internal temperature of less than about 35xc2x0 F., following which the cooked, chilled meat mixture is sliced or sliced and diced. If a casing has been used during the fermentation and cooking step, the casing may be removed or left on as desired by the end user. The pepperoni is then transferred to the conveyor of the spiral dryer where it is exposed to air maintained at about 50xc2x0 F. to 120xc2x0 F. and a relative humidity of less than 50% and preferably less than about 30% for a time of about xc2xd to 1xc2xd hours. Air flow through the dryer which, in the preferred embodiment, includes approximately forty (40) tiers, is on the order of 75,000 to 150,000 cubic feet per minute and the air flow over the product is in the range of about 200 to 1,000 feet per minute. Air is introduced at the lower end of the spiral dryer and flows upwardly toward refrigeration coils which remove humidity picked up by the air and condense the water for disposal. The air is recycled in a closed system to steam coils where the air is heated in its dry condition and reintroduced to the bottom of the spiral dryer. While in the dryer, moisture in the meat product is reduced to a ratio of 1.6:1 or less with respect to protein. The pepperoni is then conveyed to a chiller, where it is chilled or frozen for packaging and subsequent transfer to the customer or pizza preparation line. Other ways in which the features of the invention can be accomplished will become apparent to those skilled in the art after they have read this specification, such other ways being deemed to fall within the scope of the present invention if they fall within the scope of the claims which follow.